Dielectric materials are characterized by a low electrical conductivity and an ability to become polarized in an applied electric field. Dielectric materials are often incorporated into a variety of products, for example capacitors and batteries, specifically because of their dielectric properties. There are also many products that contain dielectric materials that are selected for reasons unrelated to their dielectric properties. For example, oxidation inhibiting coatings and non-woven fabrics are dielectrics, but are often selected for reasons unrelated to their dielectric properties.
Many such dielectric materials are processed in large quantities using continuous manufacturing. Continuous manufacturing can include the roll-processing of dielectric sheets or the continuous application of dielectric coatings or laminates on a moving substrate. During manufacture, however, variations in the dielectric material may occur that affect its electrical or physical properties in ways that impact the quality of the finished product. In some cases, the variations in electrical or physical properties become severe enough that the end product is unusable and must be scrapped after substantial investments in time and material.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a system and a method that can detect variations in dielectric materials, where the variations are sometimes visually undetectable. In particular, there remains a need for a system and a method that can automatically detect variations in the continuous manufacture of dielectric substrates, coatings, and laminates to reduce waste materials and increase the quality of the finished product.